The X-Charmed Factor (Part 13 of the series)
by Justright
Summary: Can the charmed ones escape the scrutiny of the outside world


The X-Charmed factor ****

The X-Charmed factor

Two purple demons with 4 arms and a tail seem to give a hard time to the girls who are fighting them fiercely. Prue tks one of them back but he gets up rapidly and comes back in the fray. Piper, who tried to freeze them unsuccessfully, moves so fast now with her new power that the demons look at her in surprise every time she appears by their side. Even with this and Phoebe floating and kicking them in turn, they do not seem to be able to get the better of them. Leo orbs in and immediately realizing that the girls are in trouble, he goes straight at the first demon with a plank that he picked up.

Prue finally manages to knock one of them out, with Leo's help, but the second one, who has managed to knock Piper and Phoebe to the ground, goes after her with a vengeance trying to get her from behind. Belthazor shimmers between them and that stops the demon in his track. He seems scared and doesn't waste any time before picking up his companion and vanishing, escaping by a hair the energy ball Belthazor sends him. Leaving the girls very frustrated.

Cole, returning to his human form says very casually:

"I got your message." 

Prue:

"Great!" She says angrily, and all you could do was scared them away? Now we are going to have to find them all over again." 

Cole:

"If you would have preferred that I let them cut you to pieces, why didn't you say so?"

Phoebe goes to him to thank him with a kiss, ignoring her sister's recriminations.

Then:

"Do you know who they were?"

Cole:

"These are old acquaintances of mine. They are called Lycruses."

Phoebe asks anxiously:

"Aren't you worried that they will report to the source?"

Cole:

"Not likely, they are fugitives too. They probably have no idea about me being one. I actually tried to get them back but they are very good at hiding. By the way what were you doing here, the message didn't say?"

Phoebe:

"A woman died here last night and Daryl told us it looked like a ritual of some kind. We were just checking the place up when those two jumped us."

Piper:

"Why are they after us if they don't work for the source?"

Cole:

"I would say that they want to reenter his good grace by killing you. Maybe they got tired of hiding."

Prue looks at him suspiciously:

"Didn't take you long to think about this. Still on the fence?"

Cole ignores the comment, but Phoebe eyes her sister severely. Prue just shrugs but keeps quiet.

Piper:

"Ok that was fun and all but, why don't we go home, I don't think they will come back any time soon."

Cole:

"That's a fair assumption since they probably think I was after you too."

He said this with a wicked smile toward Prue.

Phoebe pinches him and he gives her a "alright" look.

As they are leaving the alley, they are unaware of a man hiding in a little recess in the wall. He has been watching everything that happened with mounting fear, but he has still managed to take a few pictures with shaking hands.

A few days earlier, he had been at P3 and when Phoebe had caught his eye, he had asked around about her. Learning her name and that her sister owned the bar, he had followed her out, hoping to introduce himself. But before he could do that, he saw a man who apparently was trying to kidnap her. He was about to go and help her, when she had positively lifted off the ground and thrown the man 10 feet back with a kick. She had not noticed him while running back inside the bar, and by the time she came back out with two other girls, he had made sure that they couldn't see him. They had been looking for the man of earlier but of him, there was no trace. Dejected, they had gone back inside leaving Danny totally dumbfounded. He had waited a few minutes trying to figure out what he had just seen, and then had rejoined his friends inside to tell them what he had seen. They all had found this very amusing, telling him that he must have had one too many. Of course they knew the Halliwell sisters, they told him, and they were just the normal kind. But one of them added jokingly that it was too bad that he didn't have any picture. He knew of a department in the FBI that might even investigate this.

His friend had told him this as a joke, but Danny took it very seriously. For the next few days, he had followed Phoebe discreetly. And that is how he had found himself in that alley. That night, after he had found the courage to get out of his hiding place, he brought the film home and developed it himself. Then he mailed it to the department in the FBI his friend had jokingly referred to, keeping copies and the negatives…

In a basement office of the FBI, agent Mulder is looking intently at a set of pictures he has received that morning. Agent Scully enters the office and he answers her hello by a "hey" without looking up.

Scully:

"What's so interesting," she asks trying to get a look.

He obliges her, passing her the first picture where she can see the blurry image of people fighting, with a few of them apparently disguised in purple costumes.

"So what am I looking at? A Halloween party?"

Mulder ignores the sarcasm and answers, putting the pictures on the desk:

"The person who sent me those wrote that he has seen these people fighting. He is convinced that they all had some kind of powers. 

He swears that he has seen some of them appear out of thin air and disappear the same way and throw fireballs and such."

He smiles at her waiting for the comment that is sure to come:

Scully:

"So some lunatic takes pictures of a Halloween party and invents stories, and for you that warrants us losing our time with this?"

Mulder:

"I have files of things even more outrageous than this, you know that as well as I do."

Scully:

"And what are those supposed to be, if I may ask," she says pointing at the purple creatures?

Mulder:

"Honestly, I don't know. But I'm still going to check it out. It's up to you to come or not." 

Scully, with a sigh:

"Where are we going?"

Mulder smiling anew:

"We're off to San Francisco…"

The next morning, Phoebe wakes up and immediately grimaces in pain. 

"Ouch! She says massaging her back.

Cole turns to her not really sympathetic:

"I thought we said that you would try and stay back for now.

Who knows what might have happened?"

Phoebe:

"Hey I'm not made of porcelain, and I can still defend myself."

Cole:

"You should still be more careful for the baby."

Phoebe sighs and just gives him a kiss then gets up resolutely to avoid more discussion on the subject.

Cole doesn't see it that way:

"You know you will have to face up to the fact that for the next few months you're not going to be able to fight like before."

Phoebe ignores his comment and announces she's going to take a shower and then have Leo look at the bruise."

Cole sighs and shakes his head dejectedly.

In the dining room, Piper:

"I looked them up and I found the vanquish spell for those Lycruses demons. Now all we have to do is figure out where they are."

Prue:

"My guess is, if Cole is right they'll be back unless they think he's already got us. Either way all we can do is wait and see."

Cole, who is just entering:

"Well I'll have heard everything, Prue is actually agreeing with me."

Prue:

"I won't make a habit of it."

Cole:

"At the very least, I would like you to agree on something else," he says a bit more seriously. "Your sister refuses to stay back in those fights of yours. Don't you think you could try and talk to her?"

Piper:

"You know very well that Phoebe has a mind of her own. Where is she by the way?"

Cole:

"She's with your husband actually," he says annoyed that they won't agree with him. 

"She had a big bruise on her back from yesterday's fight."

Piper asks a little concerned:

"The baby?"

Cole:

"Well everything seems fine for now, but I still worry that one of these days it won't be…"

Phoebe, who just came in herself:

"Hey you're not still talking about this are you?

I thought that discussion was over."

Cole:

"It won't be until you become more reasonable."

Phoebe just shrugs and changes the subject:

"So did you find out more about those demons?"

Piper:

"Like I told Prue, I found the vanquish and that we got lucky last night because they can throw lightning bolts."

Phoebe:

"Lovely…"

Piper:

"And Cole is right, you should be more careful Phoebe."

Phoebe just sighs heavily then says:

"I see that you are all ganging up on me…"

Cole:

"We just want to make sure nothing bad is going to happen to you or the baby."

Phoebe's expression softens:

"I know. I'm sorry. I'll try to be more careful there, you happy?"

Cole:

"Delirious," he says with a big smile.

She can't help but smile too.

The next few days are unusually uneventful with no sign of the demons…

"So Mam, did you ever notice anything unusual happening at this house," Mulder says pointing at the manor?

The lady seems to think about this:

"Well, I don't know if I really should get into this. After all they are very nice girls and all."

Mulder:

"But?"

The lady:

"Well, yes there is some stuff going on there that seems out of the ordinary. But mostly, it looks like they often have very animated parties."

Mulder:

"Animated how?"

The Lady:

"Lots of lights and weird sounds, some explosions that make us think they are using fireworks a lot."

Mulder:

"Fireworks you say?"

The lady:

"What else would it be?"

Mulder smiles dubiously:

"Is there something else?"

The lady:

"They also seem to use a lot of furniture. As I told you before, they have animated parties…"

Mulder, feeling like he is pulling a tooth:

"What is the deal with the furniture?"

The Lady:

"Every so often, actually more often than this, furniture trucks come around. It looks like a lot of their furniture gets somehow destroyed and replaced regularly."

Mulder:

"You don't say? Ok, thanks Mam. Nice talking to you."

He goes back to the car where Scully is waiting for him with a little "I told you so" smile.

She still asks:

"So, found out anything?"

Mulder:

"Apparently they are party girls…"

Scully:

"I see."

Then she continues more seriously:

"You know Mulder, I really think we are losing our time here. All we found out until now is that they seem to live in a commune of some kind, that they have dubious tastes in clothes and live in a dollhouse."

Mulder sighs, exasperated:

"What do you make of the people who told us of the weird goings on in this place? I mean explosions and light shows at all hours of day and night do seem a little weird. And all those weird creatures the neighbors have described…"

Scully:

"Can all be explained if you accept that those girls are just very original and enjoy costume parties a lot."

Mulder doesn't give up yet:

"And what about that guy who seems to get out of the house unseen, and then comes back. It happened at least 3 times in the last 3 days."

Scully:

"He was going out from the back?"

Mulder:

"I was watching the back."

Scully:

"You probably missed him that's all. "

Mulder:

"At any rate, the camera I installed will record any comings and goings from now on."

Mulder sits back, still watching the Manor.

Inside:

The phone rings and Prue is the first one to it:

"Hello?"

Daryl:

"Hey Prue, I've got some news for you."

Prue:

"What is it?"

Daryl:

"You asked me to watch out for more signs of the ritual that I told you about last week. Well it just happened again. A man has died last night and it looked like the same killers as that time."

Prue:

"Oh, that's terrible. I wish we could have stopped them last week but we will be looking into this right away." 

Daryl gives her the location of the last murder, which happens to be the same alley they were in before, then:

"I only hope that you will find them." 

Prue:

"We'll sure try. I don't want any more innocents to die."

"Good bye and thank you!"

Then she turns to Phoebe who is looking at her questioningly:

"I think our demons have resurfaced. Another victim was found last night and it looked like their ritual."

Phoebe grimaces:

"We have to get onto this right away. I'll get the spell just in case."

Prue:

"I'll get Piper to join us there."

Outside, Mulder spots the girls going to their car in a hurry.

He turns to Scully:

"I'll follow them, just watch the Manor ok?"

Scully:

"If I don't fall asleep of boredom."

Mulder snickers but still goes to the rental car he got for just this eventuality.

The moment he starts behind them his cell phone rings, he picks it up keeping his eyes on the girls SUV. 

"Hello?"

Skinner:

"Mulder, you asked about a Daniel Thomson? Some kind of background report?"

Mulder:

"Yes I did, did you hear something?"

Skinner:

"I'm not sure what you wanted with him, but I just heard back from the San Francisco Police, and your guy has been murdered last night."

Mulder frowns:

"Really? What happened?"

Skinner:

"Apparently, the police there think it's some kind of gang into demonic rituals or something. They didn't know much; just that the murder was similar to another one that they had last week in the very same spot. They also found some burned pictures and apparently the negatives in his apartment. They have no suspect at the moment."

Mulder:

"Alright, thank you."

Skinner:

"Do you know what it's about?"

Mulder:

"I'm not sure yet but we are looking into it."

Skinner:

"Let me know what you found."

Mulder:

"Sure," he says distractedly before turning off the phone.

Back at the Manor, Cole has just returned from his search for the demons without success. 

While looking around to find the girls, he notices the car again through the living room window.

He is perplexed about this. He has seen this car parked there many times in the last 3 days, and now he wonders if some warlock could not be watching the house.

He just decides it might be time to make sure and shimmers a little way behind the car. Then, he approaches the driver' side casually enough.

Scully, bored out of her mind, still wondered why they were losing their time watching this place. Mulder had been trying the most ludicrous theories on her those last few days. One of them was that they were watching real witches. She had not been able to stop herself from laughing out loud at this suggestion. She couldn't help but imagining the girls flying around on broomsticks. Even now, the thought brought a smile to her lips. She looked again at the small screen that was transmitting the video from the camera Mulder put in the back of the house.

Spying on these people made her uncomfortable as it was, but the camera bordered on illegal. She also had made sure that Mulder knew that she disapproved. 

However, as usual, he had dismissed her concerns with the excuse that the camera was not really on the premises. He was always good at twisting things his way.

She was still distracted and didn't notice Cole coming from behind the car until he was right at her window, knocking.

She started and looked at the smiling face in surprise. He had been in that house and she was sure that she had not seen him get out.

She lowers the window halfway, still a bit tense.

Cole:

"Hello lady, you like the neighborhood?"

Scully answers reluctantly:

"It's nice why?"

Cole:

"Oh no reason, just I have noticed that you have been around here a lot lately. Any reason in particular?"

Scully sees through the casual voice and decides that there might be some kind of threat behind it. 

"I don't think there is any law against me staying here. The street belongs to everybody."

Cole smile widens but for some reason, Scully feels that might not be a good sign.

Cole:

"Of course, I'm just being a good citizen, you know with all those break in stories and that people who do them watch the houses first."

Scully plays along, even if she's quiet sure that this has nothing to do with break-ins.

"I can assure you, I'm not a thief. Actually it's rather the other way around." 

She pulls out her id and flashes it at him. He seems genuinely surprised.

Cole:

"FBI hey? What is the FBI doing in such a quiet neighborhood?"

Scully having had to break surveillance anyway, says:

"Is it really?"

Cole:

"What do you mean?"

Scully:

"My partner and I have asked around and we've heard some stories…"

Cole:

"People talk, you know how it is." 

Scully:

"Really."

Cole:

"Anyway, I'm just happy you're not a thief or anything. Have a nice day," he says and just moves away without waiting for an answer.

Scully watches him going; slightly surprised he left so quickly. Then she looks back at the little video screen by pure reflex and is startled to see that there is only a black screen now. She verifies that the video is still on. When she is sure of this, she frowns and looks back the way Cole left, wondering.

The girls have just arrived at the location of the murder. The police has left very little behind but they still hope to be able to get something from the place or even if they get lucky, that the demons will show up again.

Phoebe walks around the place touching walls and objects along the way, but up till now she didn't get anything.

As she is walking around, she finds the little recess Danny had been hiding in the last time around.

Touching the wall inside the recess, the vision that she was trying for suddenly comes to her:

"A young man is standing in an apartment, then he suddenly turns around, like startled by something, and his eyes grow with terror as a Lycrus demon approaches him threateningly. The demon knocks him out then proceeds to search the apartment."

The vision stops.

Piper:

"What did you see?"

Phoebe:

"I think it must have been the man they killed last night, definitely by the same demons we saw. But I saw him in his apartment, and the demons seemed to have been looking for something, but the vision stopped before I could see what it was."

Prue:

"I will call Daryl. He could come with us at the guys' apartment. Who knows, maybe we'll find out more there? Like what the demons were looking for?"

They leave the alley as Mulder puzzles on their actions. He couldn't hear what they said, but got the distinct impression that one of them had some kind of psychic ability. 

He is pulled out of his reflections by the sound of the SUV engine and immediately prepares to follow them.

Their next stop is only half of a surprise to him as they brought him right at the doorstep of the man who informed him of the strange events. His intention had been to verify the allegations before talking to him, but of course now, he would never be able to do that. Still he found it interesting enough that the girls ended up there.

A black man, that he had not seen before, had just joined them and he flashed a badge at the doorman, which startles Mulder "Are they working as psychic for the police?" He asks himself. 

"And if so, what would it have to do with the other events happening at the house." Mulder has the feeling that the mystery is deepening rather than becoming clearer to him and he is frustrated.

Prue:

"Thanks for your help Daryl, I really think we needed to see for ourselves." 

Daryl:

"That's alright; anything that could help solve this is fine with me.

Do you have a clue on who or what did it?"

Phoebe:

"Yes actually, we're quiet sure on who did it, but we don't know where they are. I hope to get something from this apartment."

The door attendant unlocks the apartment door for them and, on a signal from Daryl, leaves them alone to enter it. The girls enter cautiously, half expecting to find the demons there, waiting for them, but there is nobody inside.

Prue:

"Come on Phoebe, go for it." 

Phoebe:

"Alright. Then, she proceeds to survey the place in the same manner as she did in the alley. At some point, she finds a spot, which seems to have been burned recently. She turns to Daryl…

Daryl:

"The police have found something that was burned there the same night Danny died. The forensic people say that it was some pictures and negatives. There was nothing left of them that could tell us what was on them."

Phoebe puts her hand on the spot and immediately gets yet another vision:

"The same man she saw before is now hiding in the recess, he has a camera in hands. He seems very scared and then she sees why. The scene of their fight plays in front of her and she realizes the man had been observing them and taking pictures."

The vision stops. 

When she turns to the others, she seems troubled. She is about to tell them what happened when her cell phone starts ringing.

She pulls it out of her purse under the impatient stare of the others in the room.

Phoebe:

"Hello?"

Cole:

"Hey baby, I think we got a problem."

Phoebe:

"Funny that you say that, because I think so too. Or at least we might."

"Tell me what you got first."

Cole:

"A FBI agent, actually more than one, have been watching the house for a few days already.

Phoebe's eyes grow wide and the others notice it.

Phoebe stays silent, still stunned.

Cole:

"Phoebe?"

Phoebe:

"I think that it may have to do with my news unfortunately. We're in the apartment of a man who was killed last night, and I'm afraid he had pictures of our last fight with the Lycruses."

Prue and Piper become very concerned and await for the rest of the conversation with dread.

Cole:

"What happened to those pictures," he asks nervously.

Phoebe:

"The ones at his apartment were burned, presumably by the demons. But if you say the FBI is watching the house, I'd say that he had time to send copies to them… Wait, how do you know they are from the FBI."

He coughs a little with embarrassment:

"Well I went to ask what she was doing there."

Phoebe:

"You didn't," she says with irritation.

Cole:

"I thought it was the same warlock who tried to kidnap you a couple weeks ago, maybe watching the house…"

Phoebe:

"She didn't see you do anything…"

Cole:

"Of course not, but they had a camera on the house."

Phoebe gasps.

He continues:

"Don't worry, I took care of that, at least for now."

Phoebe:

"Alright wait for us, we're coming home soon. And no using magic ok?"

Cole:

"Promise." 

Phoebe hangs up with a pensive expression.

Piper:

"Am I to understand that the FBI is investigating us?"

Phoebe:

"It would seem so. Cole says that they might have been watching the house for a few days already. For all we know, one of them might have followed us here.

Daryl:

"That is not good."

Prue:

"Really…"

Outside the building, they look around and Mulder wonders if they made him. But he is parked way back and they can't see him. After a moment they get to their respective cars and leave.

They have returned to the house and Mulder goes to Scully. 

Scully:

"You are not going to like it but I'm afraid that they are on to us now.

Mulder thinks that it explains what he saw, but he has news of his own and tells her so.

Scully:

"He was murdered?"

Mulder:

"Yup, and those guys are apparently investigating it with the help of a detective."

Scully, always the suspicious one:

"Investigating or covering their tracks?"

Mulder sighs:

"With a detective?"

Scully:

"We've seen worse…"

Mulder:

"At any rate, I think it's now time to ask them some questions."

Scully:

"Yes, but I think we should be careful. The man who came to me seemed dangerous."

Mulder:

"How so?"

Scully:

"He was very polite and all, but I got the feeling that there was something threatening about his attitude."

Mulder:

"We will see…"

Inside the house, Cole is showing them the car that he had noticed earlier and can now see that two people are sitting in it, discussing presumably what they have already seen.

Prue:

"I don't like it at all. What are we going to tell them?"

Piper:

"It all depends on what they have seen… This, we don't know for sure. Those pictures, I wish I knew what was on it. However, it's safe to assume that there was something on it that pushed the demons into action.

Cole:

"That's reasonable enough. They would not want any proof left behind of their existence. Fugitives or not, they answer to the same impulses as any other demon. Hiding from humans at all cost.

Prue:

"That also means that if those agents have copies of the pictures they are in danger too."

Phoebe:

"So that means we have to protect them and protect ourselves from them. That's going to be fun…"

Deep as they were in their conversations, they didn't notice the agents coming out of the car and heading for the house. So that when the doorbell rings, they all jump a little.

At the door, Prue:

"Hi!

Mulder:

"Miss Halliwell?"

Prue:

"Yes?"

Mulder:

"I am agent Mulder and this is agent Scully, we would like to ask you a few questions. We are with the FBI."

Prue fakes being surprised quiet well.

Then, Mulder, when she doesn't invite them in:

"May we come in Miss?"

Prue:

"Oh of course, follow me please."

They go to the living room where Scully immediately notices the man who came to her earlier:

"Hello," she says pleasantly enough.

Cole, playing it close to the vest:

"Oh what do you know, you are that FBI agent. Nice to meet you again."

He's acting for all the world like nothing was the matter. Scully observes him a little longer, then turns back to the others.

Prue:

"So what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

Phoebe and Piper are fidgeting a little and Prue casts a warning look in their direction. 

Mulder:

"Well I know it probably will seem strange to you… Or not," he ads, fishing… We got a report of some unusual activities, and it would seem that it was related to all of you."

Prue feigns surprise again:

"How so?"

Mulder:

"Well a witness, who by the way has just been murdered…" 

He lets the news sink in and try to see what reaction he will get from it but the girls just look horrified at the revelation, as if that was the first time that they heard of it.

He continues:

"As I was saying, a witness has come forward with a disturbing story about people vanishing out of thin air and using powers really out of this world." 

Prue laughs:

"Mr. Mulder, you cannot think that we have powers, now can you?" She says in a slightly mocking tone of voice.

"We're just regular girls trying to make a living in the city," she ads.

Mulder insists:

"We have some other witnesses who have reported strange events coming from your house." 

Prue:

"Like what?" She asks as innocently as she can.

Mulder:

"Light shows at any hour of the day and night, suspicious explosions….

Weird creatures lurking around the house."

Prue just dismisses it:

"Come on, you know how people exaggerate don't you? We had a few costume parties and they blew it out of proportion that's all."

Mulder:

"I suppose…"

Then he gets to the meaty part:

"What were you doing at a crime scene this morning?"

Prue can't help but jump a little at this, but she tries to cover it:

"What do you mean?"

Mulder:

"You'll have to forgive me for this, but I was following you and I saw you not only go to the crime scene, but also go to the victim's apartment. Who, by the way, was the informant that I told you about." 

Prue:

"Was it now? Really it's not what you think. My sister here," she says pointing at Phoebe, has some psychic abilities and the police sometimes ask her to look up crime scenes for them."

Mulder:

"Really?"

Phoebe:

"Yes Mr. Mulder. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell them anything about this particular case."

Scully enters the conversation, dubious:

"Pity…"

Phoebe turns to her, very nervous:

"Yes, indeed."

Scully continues:

"So none of you have noticed anything weird around this neighborhood?"

Cole:

"No really officer, just your normal every day stuff, you know how it is…"

Scully:

"I guess."

Mulder:

"Well, thank you for answering our questions. We'll let you know if something else comes up." He stands up to go. He still observes them closely all the way to the door, but can't find the crack he is looking for.

When they have left, the whole lot of them takes a collective deep breath.

Phoebe:

"Do you think that he believed us?"

Prue:

"I wouldn't count on it… But we still have to protect them from themselves. I wonder how we are going to do that?"

Cole:

"I don't think that they are going anywhere just yet. 

Maybe I could…"

Phoebe:

"Cole!"

He looks at her, hurt:

"Hey I wasn't not going to hurt them. I just thought that I could take care of the immediate problem of those pictures…"

Piper:

"I think that it would just make them more suspicious.

And what about this camera you told Phoebe about?"

Cole:

"I took care of it…"

In the car, Mulder notices the dark screen and looks questioningly at Scully.

Noticing his stare, she starts:

"I was just going to tell you about that. Apparently your little gadget doesn't work." 

Mulder:

"It was working fine this morning…"

Scully:

"I rewound the tape when I noticed the dark screen earlier and all I got was exactly that: a dark screen. No picture at all."

Mulder is surprised:

"On the whole tape?"

Scully:

"Yup! And I know that I probably shouldn't tell you this because it's going to encourage you in your little quest…"

Mulder:

"What?"

Scully:

"Well, the screen was fine until that man we saw in the house came to me earlier. After he left, the screen went dark and has been ever since."

Mulder:

"Why do you think that is?"

Scully:

"Although I know that you will attribute this to some kind of strange phenomenon, what I think is that he saw the camera and came here with some kind of powerful magnet to erase the tape and disrupt the video screen.

Mulder:

"Maybe…"

Scully insists now:

"You know they might just be part of some cult and eliminated a witness."

Mulder again lost in thought repeats:

"Maybe…"

Inside, Piper:

"You know we could just ask Leo to erase their memories of those events, that might do it?"

Prue:

"That would not keep them from being a target for the demons. They might still think that they know something and want to eliminate them as well."

Cole:

"I agree, if the demons know about them, and they most likely do since they found out about the other man, they will not give up trying to kill them too. On the other hand, those demons are creatures of habit and they most probably will try and kill them in the same manner as the others. That gives us a small advantage."

Phoebe:

"We know where they will be," she finishes.

"However, we still don't know when."

Prue:

"We still have to watch those agents, and make sure that the demons won't change their mind and kill them on the spot."

Piper:

"And how are we supposed to do that? They are following us and we couldn't see them until now."

Prue:

"Now that we know, it will be easier. But still you have a point. I don't think that they have seen Paul since he hasn't been here for a week. I'll call him and ask him to follow them for us."

Cole:

"I can see this from here. Paul following them, following us, us trying to find the demons…" He almost smiles at his own wits.

Prue ignores him and goes to the phone…

For the next day or so, nothing happens except that at any given moment, the two groups watch the other, waiting for something to happen.   
Mulder waiting for the cover of night has tried to replace the camera in the backyard. But after only a few minutes with a good image, the screen went black again. He wondered if the man called Cole came back near the car, but he never saw him. He noticed a car that wasn't there before, which seems to have been parked there for hours, but he cannot see anybody in it and dismisses it.

The phone rings in Paul's car:

"Yes?

Prue:

"Did they see you?"

Paul:

"They came close a few times, but I'm quiet sure that they didn't."

Prue:

"Thanks for telling us about the new camera. Cole took care of it again."

Paul just says:

"Good."

Prue:

"No signs of the demons yet?"

Paul:

"None and I'm getting cramped."

Prue teases:

"Poor baby…"

Paul:

"You should try to make a run for it and come here."

Prue:

"I wish I could…"

Paul:

"So do I. I missed you."

Prue:

"I hope those demons will make a move soon, I'm getting restless.

All of us are…"

Paul:

"I'm sure it won't be long now. Leo and Cole are sure that they can pull this off afterward?"

Prue:

"That's what they assured us of."

Paul:

"Ok then, let's wait and see."

Prue in a sweet and longing voice:

"Good bye."

Paul answers in kind, then hangs up going back to his watch.

The next day, Leo has joined Paul to give him a chance to rest. The agents don't seem to notice them.

Mulder:

"They are very quiet, not one of them has gone out of the house in more than a day." 

Scully:

"I told you, I think that we are losing our time."

Mulder:

"You told me yourself that they might be part of a cult, and even have a connection with the murders."

Scully:

"Now that they know we are watching them, they are not likely to do anything else that might reveal their secret."

Mulder:

"You may be right, but I'm not going to give up yet."

That evening, something finally happens.

Leo shakes Paul who had fallen asleep:

"Something is going on," he says to him.

Paul catches sight of a strange light appearing next to the agents' car and right after this, the demons materialize.

Paul:

"It's show time." They get out of the car, ready to intervene but too late as the demons have gotten a hold of the agents and rapidly vanished again with them.

Leo:

"Oh oh!"

Paul:

"Let's not lose any time. Get the girls, we know where they are going.

At least I hope…" he ads to himself.

In the alley, the demons just reappeared dropping Scully and Mulder on the ground. These are now scared and they take their guns out:

Mulder:

"You stay away from us."

The Lycruses look at them in surprise, then they start laughing in a sinister manner. One of them comes closer and Scully fires right through him. She is flabbergasted when it has no effect. The demon gets to her and slaps her across the face while Mulder tries to jump on his back.

The demon just picks him off of him with a horribly deformed hand and sends him flying 15 feet away. Mulder is almost knocked out when he hits the ground. The other demon comes toward him and, as the first one does to Scully, he pulls him toward the center of the alley and drops him hard on the ground.

While watching them closely, the demons begin putting strange effects around them, and finally materialize an even stranger knife out of thin air, which makes them both gasps in surprise and fear.

At the manor, they all decide that they have no time to go there the usual way and each of the men pick up their respective girl to bring them to the alley magically.

They surmise that they are just in time when they see the demons about to strike and the girls run to them ready to chant the spell.

The demons note their arrival with loud grunts of displeasure and turn toward them ready to attack. One of them doesn't lose any time and sends a lightning bolt in their direction which Prue has just time to deflect before starting the chant:

"Beasts from the Dark

With fury and with Spark

We command thee, Be Gone

By our word, Let it be Done"

The moment they finish the chant it doesn't take long for the demons to be consumed and to explode in a bright purple flash.

All of this under the stunned gaze of the agents, who have not gotten back up yet.

The girls go to them to make sure they are ok and help them up. Mulder gives them an amazed look:

"I guess there was more to you than meet the eye after all."

Prue:

"We are very sorry about all this, but we can't let you go with what you know. It's too dangerous for you and us."

Mulder becomes suspicious again, backing away from them along with Scully:

"What do you mean exactly?"

Piper:

"Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you if that's what you think. But it is necessary for us to make sure that you will not remember any of this."

Mulder:

"And how are you supposed to do that. I've seen all of it with my own eyes and I am not likely to forget."

Leo and Cole approaches them startling them a little:

Cole, mocking a little:

"It won't hurt at all…"

The next day, Scully enters the office her and Mulder share:

"So how was the vacation?"

Mulder:

"Lovely, I feel well rested now."

Nevertheless, even as he is saying this, something feels wrong about it.

He looks strangely at Scully.

Scully:

"What?"

Mulder:

"I don't know, just a feeling that something is amiss but I can't put my finger on it."

Then he sees the corner of a picture under a pile of clutter on his desk.

After he pulled it out, he sees a curious spectacle: two weird creatures, all purple with four arms and a tail. He shows it to Scully who looks at it perplex:

"What is that?"

Mulder:

"I have no idea. Probably a prank."

Scully:

"You must be right."

Mulder gives another long look at the picture, than just tosses it in the wastebasket.


End file.
